diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/core.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/core.c
index 7d5cd99157f5..9f105fb12ede 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/core.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/core.c
@@ -208,6 +208,21 @@ struct greybus_host_device *greybus_create_hd(struct greybus_host_driver *driver
 	ida_init(&hd->cport_id_map);
 	hd->buffer_size_max = buffer_size_max;
 
+	/*
+	 * Initialize AP's SVC protocol connection:
+	 *
+	 * This is required as part of early initialization of the host device
+	 * as we need this connection in order to start any kind of message
+	 * exchange between the AP and the SVC. SVC will start with a
+	 * 'get-version' request followed by a 'svc-hello' message and at that
+	 * time we will create a fully initialized svc-connection, as we need
+	 * endo-id and AP's interface id for that.
+	 */
+	if (!gb_ap_svc_connection_create(hd)) {
+		kref_put_mutex(&hd->kref, free_hd, &hd_mutex);
+		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
+	}
+
 	return hd;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(greybus_create_hd);
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/es1.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/es1.c
index 5418f4675ec1..c1fab375bb0b 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/es1.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/es1.c
@@ -563,12 +563,6 @@ static int ap_probe(struct usb_interface *interface,
 		return PTR_ERR(hd);
 	}
 
-	/* Initialize AP's greybus interface */
-	if (!gb_ap_svc_connection_create(hd)) {
-		retval = -EINVAL;
-		goto error;
-	}
-
 	es1 = hd_to_es1(hd);
 	es1->hd = hd;
 	es1->usb_intf = interface;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/es2.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/es2.c
index d2c054a2ec0e..558345cd80af 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/es2.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/es2.c
@@ -663,12 +663,6 @@ static int ap_probe(struct usb_interface *interface,
 		return PTR_ERR(hd);
 	}
 
-	/* Initialize AP's greybus interface */
-	if (!gb_ap_svc_connection_create(hd)) {
-		retval = -EINVAL;
-		goto error;
-	}
-
 	es1 = hd_to_es1(hd);
 	es1->hd = hd;
 	es1->usb_intf = interface;
diff --git a/drivers/staging/greybus/svc.c b/drivers/staging/greybus/svc.c
index b94a84aca0d8..784b7709b432 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/greybus/svc.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/greybus/svc.c
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ gb_ap_svc_connection_create(struct greybus_host_device *hd)
 
 	return connection;
 }
-EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(gb_ap_svc_connection_create);
 
 /*
  * We know endo-type and AP's interface id now, lets create a proper svc